The Explosion
by ImACreeperSSS
Summary: Hank invites Bobby along to Strickland Propane with him, but in a matter of seconds things go terribly wrong. Rated T for moderate amounts of violence and brief swearing.
1. Chapter 1

Introduction

It was a beautiful day in Arlen, Texas. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, the wind was blowing.. the perfect day.

Hank Hill stepped out of his house, letting the breeze hit his face. He may have been used to warm weather, but sometimes nice weather that's in-between is great.

"Hank!" Dale shouted out, waving his hat where he was standing. "We just got a great new invention idea! We're going to get Bill onto one of those "Hoarders" shows!"

Just leave it to the gang to ruin a beautiful day.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, Hank, what do you think of i-" Dale was suddenly interrupted by Hank, firmly responding "No." "Aw, come on Hank!" Bill whined. "It'd be an opportunity to be famous!"

"Yes, famous for pretending to have a mental illness. Come on, you guys - you know Bill is a slob, not a hoarder." Hank said.

"Well, how do you know that, Hank? Inside Bill's mind recently?" Dale spat back. "He's right! Hank, unless you've been inside my mind you can't tell if I'm actually a hoarder or not! Hell, I could be the worst type there is."

"Bill, your house is messy. It is in no way similar to a "Hoarder" house."

"Well, then, can we try to make it look like a hoarder house?" Dale asked.

"No. I don't want any of you cluttering Bill's house any further." Hank stated.

"But can it really get much worse?" Dale asked, before having this conversation interrupted by one Bobby Hill, running out of the house, panting heavily.

"Dad! Guess what?!" Bobby asked with excitement. "What, son?"

"I just made a pie with Mom! You want some?" Bobby happily asked.

"Bwaaagh!" Hank screamed in disgust.


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't know who I'm more disappointed in." Hank said, pacing back and forth in the kitchen. "You, Peggy, for making him make food even though he's a boy, or you, Bobby," he said, pointing at Bobby "for giving in!"

"But Dad, I asked Mom!" Bobby pleaded. "No. My son wouldn't do something like that. I know he wouldn't.. Peggy, you made him!" Hank accused.

"Hank, I can't believe you're making such a big deal over a simple pie. I mean, he was just trying it!" Peggy said, trying to help Bobby's case.

"..I need a visit to the hardware store to collect my thoughts. I'll talk about this later." Hank said, with growing intensity in his voice.

As Hank stepped out onto his stone driveway, he noticed the gang staring at him. "What are you looking at?" he demanded, before slamming the door to his truck and driving off.

It was a beautiful day, just like he noted before, but he just couldn't enjoy it now that, well, his boy cooked. It was such a small thing, and yet it offended him so much.

He tried to concentrate and enjoy the scenery, saving the worrying thoughts for the hardware store. That was his best thinking place.

The squirrels were relaxing in their holes, the birds were perched on trees, chirping happily.. no. He couldn't do it. There was just no way he could distract himself from this.

Luckily, his house was in close proximity to the hardware store, so when he was pulled out of this he was already there.

There it was, in all it's glory - SouthRiver. The best place ever to come to Arlen. It had fertilizers, pipes, drillbits, batteries.. really, anything Hank needed.

He stepped inside the two doors, letting the odor of paint and chemicals fill his nose. That was always the best part.

"Welcome, Hank!" The manager greeted him with. He was good friends with the manager - which was not surprising, considering he came every few days or so.

"Mornin'." Hank said back, in almost an angry way. He stumbled over to the paint section, where he began to collect his thoughts.

Bobby.. cooking. What would come from that? He could get a job in being a chef, but what about being a propane salesman? Could letting his son cook be robbing him of a job?

No, his choice would have to be unaffected by cooking. The main thing Hank was worried about here was Bobby's future. Bobby currently had a girlfriend, and yes, plenty of friends. A bit of being girly here and there was okay. It wouldn't affect him much.

But his future.. if he didn't inherit the propane-biz, what would happen to Strickland Propane? Would it just die? It could be replaced by.. Hank shuddered at the thought of it, another Thatherton propane.

..But it could just be restricted as a hobby. But what would he do with a wife, then? It's either Strickland is continued or the Hill generation is continued.

Hank wondered if he could even got his son interested in propane one day, so maybe he'd give up cooking and join propane.

It suddenly sprung on him that he could get Bobby to get a summer job at Strickland Propane! He could come with him on business trips, he could help refill propane.. it was an opportunity of a lifetime.

With newfound enthusiasm, he ran out of the hardware store and drove home quickly. His friends looked away as he parked in the driveway, probably from nervousness, and Hank stormed into the house.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, what do you think, Bobby? You interested in it?" Bobby looked puzzled, almost confused by what Hank meant. "..You'll be paid in experience, and you can have anything you want from the vending machine." Hank stated, that last bit tacked on for good measure.

"Hrrrm.." Bobby thought. "What would I be doing?" "You'd be tackling the important job of "tank wipe". But, if you're lucky, you could get promoted to Assistant Assistant manager!" Hank said.

"What's that?" Bobby asked. "Well, you'd be helping me in my duties. That's.. basically all." "What kind of snacks do they have there?" Bobby asked, sounding quite hungry. "Well, we have fruit pies, chips, sodas, cookies.. uh.. I don't spend much time at the vending machines."

"You had me at fruit pies." Bobby said.

"Then it's settled! You start work tommorow, Bobby. You'll have to wake up around 7 or so, and be there by 8 sharp." Hank said. "Sure, dad, no problem."

Hank walked back outside, and back to the alley. His friends stared at him, but Dale boldly asked, "Over your little hissy fit, Hank? Hhehehe!" "Shut up, Dale." Hank replied.

Hank took a sip of beer. "Yup." "Yup." "Eeyup." "Mm-hmmm." the alley replied.

"So I got Bobby a job at Strickland Propane." The news was met by applause, before Hank continued. "It should straighten the boy out enough so he doesn't try to become a chef, or, God no, a salesman." Hank shuddered at the thought.

"Well, it's good you got Bobby a summer job, Hank. What's next? Going to get Ladybird a job as a police dog?" Dale sarcastically asked.

"Dale, once again, shut up. And you know Ladybird panicks under pressure!"

"Hank, that's not the point -" "I don't care!" Hank sharply interrupted. "Is it so wrong if I want to get my boy interested in propane?"

The three stared at the ground in silence. Hank was great at proving people wrong, and once he's stood ground, he's there. No arguing.

"Eeyup." Hank begun. "Yep." Dale replied. "Eeeeyep." Bill responded. "Mm-hmm." Boomhauer finished.


	5. Chapter 5

"Congratulations Bobby, you have just won the prestigious "Youngest and Best Cooker award!" With great honor, I present you with Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep."

As Bobby's eyes slowly opened, he awoke to find himself in his room, with a dull day ahead of him.

Bobby suddenly remembered the urgency of the situation, and rushed out of bed. He opened the door, to find Hank enjoying breakfast. "Dad!" "Ah, good morning son! I mean, worker!" He chuckled to himself upon saying this.

"Pass the sausage, please." Bobby asked, and ate a few sausages. "Smart thinkin' son, you need to get your energy up for today!"

A loud alarm similar to Bobby's sounded on his watch just as Bobby was finishing up his second sausage. "Ohp, time to go to work. Bobby, do you have your hat?"

Bobby sighed. "Yes, dad." "Good. Okay, let's go so we won't be late!"

They walked out of the house back onto the stone driveway, and got into the truck.

"Alright Bobby, let's go!" "Fine, Dad." Bobby said unhappily. "What's wrong, son? For someone who is about to go work at a propane industry you sound awfully unhappy!"

"It's nothing, Dad.. I just.." "Yes, I understand you wanted to go to one of your," Hank shuddered, "cooking camps. But this will provide for you real skills that can be used later in your life! You'll learn where to get propane, how to get propane, how to start propane, how to grill, everything!"

"But where's that going to come in handy? What if I want to use charcoal?" The truck came to a screeching halt as soon as Bobby said this. Hank glared over at him and said, "I am not discussing this with you anymore."

The rest of the short drive went in silence, before they pulled into Strickland Propane's parking lot. At this point, Hank had calmed down about the charcoal, understanding that Bobby was just a kid and will say things he never means. After this visit, he'll change his mind about everything, from charcoal to cooking.

"Alright, son, here we are! Put on your hat and let's go!" "Okay." Bobby put on his hat, and hopped out of the car. He suddenly remembered the offer of fruit pies and snacks, and a new wave of energy and happiness went over him.

"Okay, Dad, let's go!" Bobby said. They opened the door to Strickland Propane with a loud creak, and walked inside.

"Hey, 'ol top!" the CEO of Strickland Propane, Buck Strickland said. "Ah see you brought yer son with ye! Hey, Bobbeh."

"Hi, sir!" "Heh, heh." Hank chuckled. "So where do you want him, sir?" "We got a new load of propane tanks that need tank wipin'. You wanna do it, Bobbeh? There's two snack breaks!"

"Sounds good to me!" "Alright, son, do you remember how it's done? Head to feet, everyone's dead - feet to head, you don't cause a leak. Now go!" Hank handed a dirty green rag to Bobby.


	6. Chapter 6

Bobby happily ran outside of the business, into an asphalted area with several oil puddles around. There were several dirty propane tanks, and he took the rag Hank gave him and began cleaning the tank as he was suggested.

"Hey, uh, Hank, I think you said it wrong - isn't it feet to head, everyone's dead, and head to feet, you don't cause a leak?" Buck asked.

"Good Lord, I did! Go get Bobby!" Hank said, panicked. "Now, 'ol top, just calm on down, I'm sure he remembers how to do it from your previous correct instructions. See? No explosion yet, I'm sure we'll all be okay." Buck said reassuringly.

"Well, okay. I think I trust your judgement, sir."

Bobby stood outside, trying to remember how the tanks were cleaned. Feet to head, you don't cause a leak, and head to feet, everyone's dead. It didn't rhyme, but it made sense!

He slowly bent down by the propane tanks, and began to clean from the bottom of the tank to the top.

"Hey, 'ol top, do you think we should still tell Bobbeh just in case?" Buck asked. "Maybe so, sir." Suddenly, a nasty smell that resembled a skunks filled the entire office, complemented by a loud hissing sound. "Is that-" Suddenly, he was cut off by an extremely loud explosion.


End file.
